Karnataka: BJP leader Yashpal Survarna alleges receiving 'life threat' amid Hijab row

In a new controversy over the Hijab row in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) national general secretary of OBC Morcha, Yashpal Suvarna, has alleged that he received life-threatening messages and calls for opposing Hijab in the classrooms.

Yashpal Suvarna who is also a vice-president of the Udupi Government Pre-University College Development Committee has alleged that he received death threats on his social media account. It is pertinent to mention that Suvarna had opposed the Hijab weaning students when the latter protested against the Hijab ban in Udupi college.

According to him, he gets life-threatening calls and messages posted on social media announcing a bounty to kill him. Notably, a bounty also has been announced against Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik on social media, stating that whoever kills Survarna and Muthalik will get Rs 10 Lakh each. 

It is significant to mention that the BJP workers of backward morcha had filed a police complaint at Kaup police station in Udupi against the miscreants who are responsible for these alleged messages and threat calls.

Mangalore University VC issues notice to students protesting against Hijab ban

Vice-Chancellor Anusuya of Mangalore University issued a notice to students who protested against its Hijab ban. The notice demands that the students give an explanation on addressing a press conference about the college, particularly regarding statements made against the guidelines of the college. Indirectly, they also hit out at CFI. In the letter, they had mentioned there were 'unknown hands' behind the protest and provoked them to keep the issue alive.

On June 3, the Mangalore University Coordination committee asked the district administration to clarify all the confusion around uniforms. The Coordination Committee had set a deadline of two days to resolve the ongoing confusion. Last week, the coordination committee President Riyaz also warned that he would stage a protest across Dakshin Kannada district and said that a large number of students would join the protest on Hijab row.

24 Students suspended by the college as they protested against Hijab Ban 

Around 24 students of Uppinagady Govt First Grade College had protested against the Hijab ban and govt order last week. They reportedly even boycotted the classes and protested against the college. On June 7, the College committee decided to suspend those students for not following the guidelines. A few days back, 7 more students were suspended for the same matter and the chaos escalated when media personnel covering the story were attacked.

Karnataka Hijab row 

In a high octane row, the Karnataka High Court, on March 15, dismissed petitions filed by a group of students seeking permission to wear hijab in classrooms. However, the three-judge Bench of the court, consisting of Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit and Justice J M Khazi further noted that the prescription of school uniforms is only a reasonable restriction, and constitutionally permissible, which the students cannot object to.

After the High Court order, the Department of Pre-University Education has made uniforms prescribed by the College Development Committee, compulsory for Pre-University (PU) students from the 2022-23 academic year. In addition, it also states that in case no uniform is prescribed by the College Development Committee or management, students must wear a garment which will "maintain equality and unity, and which does not disturb public order."